The National Honey Board

[likethebeer]

I put honey into my cereal as a sweetener the last couple of days. I just felt like I wanted a sweetener, and honey is supposed to be better for you than refined sugar. I'm not exactly sure how, though, so I looked up honey on the internet, wherein I found the National Honey Board. They have a new products page!

One thing they're developing is SOLID HONEY!


Secondly (among other things), they've developed Honey Balsamic Vinegar. I can't even wrap my head around that.

I still didn't answer my qusetions about honey. I know I heard something on the radio about refined sugar and honey and that's why I stopped putting sugar into my coffee, so it was persuasive, whatever it was.

Comments

[sacramentalist.livejournal.com]

It's supposedly got anti-oxidants and stuff.

I drink my coffee black. Maybe I'll try a little honey.

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

It has to have been the anti-oxidants that got my attention.

I've gone black when that's all there is at work, but I still think of myself as being all big and grow-up just because I no longer put sugar into my coffee.

[coconuthead.livejournal.com]

I like honey better than sugar because honey comes out of an animal, whereas sugar's just another stupid plant product. Screw you, plants!

One of the coffeeshops I used to frequent made a latte flavored with cardamom and honey that was quite delicious.

screw you

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

that made me laugh.

Maybe I will absorb the intelligence of the bee by eating honey. That will give me better navigational skills and fast reflexes. I wouldn't mind that at all.

sting like a bee!

[coconuthead.livejournal.com]

And you'll be able to create wax, which will make you long lasting and cleaner burning and less drippy. . or something.

I am really silly this morning. I don't know where it came from.

Re: sting like a bee!

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

I wonder if I could sell wax door to door. I'll walk down the street, proclaiming my long-lasting attributes. Oh, and I'll do it really quickly since I'm hyped up on so much nectar.

[anterastilis.livejournal.com]

Hey smarty, don't bees and plants work together to create honey? Isn't it a beautiful form of collaboration?

Okay, I think I remember you being there for this conversation. do the bees refine the honey themselves?

Ok hippie, you win this time. . .

[coconuthead.livejournal.com]

As for your 3rd question:

http://www.coolquiz.com/trivia/explain/docs/honey.asp

The field bees bring the nectar they collect back to the house bees, who mix it up in their bodies with their special bee enzymes. Once they're done, it's ready to be sealed up in the honeycomb and "ripen" into honey.

Re: Ok hippie, you win this time. . .

[coconuthead.livejournal.com]

waitaminnit!

Field bees?
House bees?

I never knew slavery could be so delicious.

Re: Ok hippie, you win this time. . .

[anterastilis.livejournal.com]

Its the cirrrrrrrrcle of liiiiiiife....

You ever think of housing bees? I wonder if it'd be hard to surreptitiously have bee hives on public property somewhere. IN the middle of nowhere. Just show up every once in a while with smoke and get yummy honey.

Re: Ok hippie, you win this time. . .

[coconuthead.livejournal.com]

I have thought of it. Actually, a honey man used to keep some bees on Grandma & Grandpa's land. They'd receive several quarts of honey as payment (maybe some money, too. . I don't know about that part) It was great.

A local beekeeper was looking for an assistant here a while back. I seriously considered it, but he wanted me to run a forklift. I'm pretty sure forklifts and I don't mix. It would've been cool, though.

[anterastilis.livejournal.com]

That is so strange! I ran out of raisins yesterday (my usual addition to oatmeal) so I got out the honey this morning - and WOW I'd forgotten how good it is in oatmeal.

You know, I did a little research on honey a while ago and I kind of remember that honey IS actually refined - but it's refined by the bees. If I had my copy of the Green Kitchen Handbook I'd look it up for you.

Viva la honey!

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

According to Wikipedia, honey is refined by the bee's repeated regurgitation. I tried not to think of that much while eating this morning.

[anterastilis.livejournal.com]

Behold the glory of nature!

bee poop!

[regatomic.livejournal.com]

actually vomit,.. still refined sugar though,..:)
the hazard is excess, in any of it,..:)

heh

[regatomic.livejournal.com]

should read comments first,..;)

Re: heh

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

Well, now I'm wondering if I read that bee regurgitation thing right, having looked at coconuthead's responses.

bee regurgitation

[regatomic.livejournal.com]

yeah the gatherers regurgitate it for the hive bees to process further and they regurgitate it into the cells, where it ages untill another worker places an egg then seals the cell,.. pretty complex process,.. and we just come along and steal it,..;)

[semerkhet.livejournal.com]

We bought a local organic brand of honey recently because they called it "Bee Barf Honey." It had a picture of a cartoon bee with its hands over its mouth, looking embarrassed. Unfortunately, it's not as tasty as some of the others we've tried.

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

Huh. Bee Barf Honey just sounds like such a brilliant idea. That's too bad. Maybe the flower crop was crappy (but who wants to try out honey every year?). We've received some nice honey (and, having looked up honey on Wikipedia, I now know what it hasn't spoiled), but I'm surprised by how fricking sweet it is when you have what's left over in the spoon.

[binro33.livejournal.com]

I grew up with putting honey in just about anything instead of using white sugar. My grandfather was a beekeeper.